Pipe-wrench.



PATENTED MAR. 29, 1904.

K. GHIGKERING. PIPE WRENCH APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1904.

I0 [ODE L.

is? 5% s WN M 7 a 4 UNITED STATES Patented March 29, 1904.

KENTON CHIOKERING, OF OIL CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

PIPE-WRENCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,846,6lated March 29, 1904. Application filed January 21, 1904. Serial No. 189,995. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, KENTON CHIoKERINe, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oil City, county of Venango, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe-Wrenches; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in

that class of pipe-wrenches wherein are combined an. operating-lever and plural jaws pivoted one on the other, one of said jaws pivoted on the lever and the free jaw adapted to loosely engage the operating-lever, and has for its object the provision of a simple and secure meansv of limiting the movement of the jaw whichis pivoted on the operating-lever, so as to prevent the disengagement of the jaw which engages theoperating-lever and yet allow such a relative movement of the operating-lever and jaws as will permit the changing of the grip upon the pipe by the reversal of the operating-lever. Heretofore this object has been effected by sliding bolts adapted to engage the inner jaw and secured by a setscrew, by leaf and like springs adapted to engage one or the other of the jaws and afl ord a yielding support thereto, by spring-pawls adapted to engage a rack-notch on the jaw, and like devices, all of which have been more or less objectionable either from loss of time in adjustment, added expense for first cost and for-repair, or insecurity and inefficiency.

In order to obtain a simple, durable, and eflicient means for locking and limiting the pivoted jaws with relation to the operatinglever, I combine with the operating-lever and ing friction-grip and which when advancedengages the heel of the pivoted jaw, so as to limit the movement of the jaws with relation to the operating-lever, and such a construction and combination embodies the main feature of my invention,

There are other minor features of invention, all as will hereinafter more fully appear.

. I will now proceed to describe my invention more fully, so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the operatinglever of a pipe-wrench embodying my invention, provided at its jaw end witha nipple or lug 2, adapted to enter a recess in the free end of the outer jaw.

8 indicates the inner jaw of the wrench, pivoted on theoperating-lever 1, as at 4, substantially in line with and just back of the nipple or lug 2, which is to engage the free end pf the companion jaw. This jaw 3 is slightly recessed, as at 5, to permita free backward movement, and adjacent thereto on the back of'the jaw is a heel-piece 6 or reinforce. under which (and into the recess 5, if desired) the toe of the sliding jaw-check passes when advanced to limit the movement of said jaw 3, and said jaw is provided with a seat or semicircular recess 7 for the reception of the pipe.

8 indicates the outer jaw, pivoted, as at 9, on the inner jaw 3 and provided at its free end with a recess 10 to receive the nipple or lug 2 on the jaw end of lever 1. and size of this recess 10 are such as to permit a limited rocking movement of the jaw 8 on the lug 2 in order'to release the grip of the jaws 3 and 8 on the pipe when the grip of the wrench is to be changed. This jaw 8 has also The form' a semicircular seat 11 and impinging thereon effectively engage the heel of the inner jaw 3 or theheel-piece 6 thereof when advanced, and thus lock or limit the movement of the jaws 3 and 8 and as effectively release the heel of the jaw 3 and permit the unrestricted movement of said jaw when retracted. Preferably this jaw-check is in the form of a slide or saddle having vertical flanges 14, which straddle the operating-lever 1, said flanges provided with elongated slots 15, through which and through the operating-lever 1 pass pins 16, which secure the jaw-check 13 to the operating-lever 1, while permitting it all the longitudinal movement required. The under side of this saddle or slide is recessed to form abutments for the ends of a semi-elliptic or leaf spring 17, which is interposed between the saddle and the operating-lever 1, so that the saddle or jaw-check 13 will have an effective yielding friction-grip on the operatinglever and will remain securely in any position in which it is placed.

The upper surface of the jaw-check 13 may be provided with a stop-lug 18 and with a knob or thumbpiece 19.

When the jaw-check 13 is retracted, as shown in Fig. 1, the pivoted jaw 8 can be freed from engagement with the end lug 2 of the operating-lever and the jaws 3 and 8 turned freely outward and backward to admit any pipe within the capacity of the wrench, after which the jaws 3 and 8 may be closed around the pipe and the nipple 2 on the end of the operating-lever entered in the recess 10 in the free end of jaw 8 and the jaw-check 13 advanced until its toe takes under the heel-piece 6 of the inner jaw 33, in which position the jaw-check will be held by its friction-grip on the operating-lever, (see Fig. 2,) and while the jaws 3 and 8 will be permitted such relative movement with relation to each other and to the operating-lever as will permit the grip of the wrench on the pipe to be readily changed when the lever is reversed said relative movement will be so restricted that the nipple 2 on the end of the operating-lever 1 cannot escape from the recess 10 in the free end of lever 8 2. In a pipe-wrench, the combination with an operating-lever and a wrench-jaw pivoted thereon, of a sliding jaw-check mounted on the operating-lever and adapted to engage the heel of the jaw which is pivoted on the lever, and a spring interposed between the sliding jaw-check and the operating-lever, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a pipe-wrench, the combination with an operating-lever and a wrench-jaw pivoted thereon, of a sliding jaw-check provided with flanges which straddle the operating-lever said flanges having elongated slots, pins for securing the sliding jaw-check t0 the operating-lever, and a spring interposed between the sliding jaw-check and the operating-lever, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4:. In a pipe-wrench, the combination with an operating-lever and a wrench-jaw pivoted thereon, said jaw provided with an extension heel-piece, of a sliding jaw-check mounted on the operating-lever in yielding frictional engagement therewith and adapted to engage the extension heel-piece of the pivoted jaw, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 20th day of January, 1904.

KENTON CHICKERING.

Witnesses:

HUGH M. STERLING, G. P. BITTER. 

